Sale of lands to the MRC – giving up our assets

« In any case, the decision is made » you said with some satisfaction at the end of the briefing held on July 25 on the subject of the sale to the MRC d’Argenteuil of the Smith lands.

If I understand the essence of your message, Brownsburg-Chatham will sell the land to the MRC for about $200,000 which will enable it to ensure the development and sharing the bill among all the municipalities… including ours. When will that future development take place? According to Mr. Marc Carriere, general manager of the MRC, when the MRC will has 75 to 80% financing. In other words, there is no hurry.

However, on your side, there seems to be an emergency. Given the multiple sources of funding available (the Fonds vert, fund, the Programme de mise en valeur du milieu forestier [1], the Pacte rural, the FIRM – Fonds sur les infrastructures municipales rurales), one may ask why you really want to give up ownership of the territory. Could it be the appeal of a nearly quarter-million dollars that the city would receive in the short term? If you will pardon the analogy, your attitude reminds me of someone who would sell his house so that the new owners are renovating, but who remain in rent. After all, Mr. Mayor, if the MRC develops the Smith land, Brownsburg-Chathamwill have to put out its share of the costs, which ultimately could undermine seriously the profit of the sale.

When St-André wanted to develop the wood Von Allmen, it did not sell it to the MRC. And municipalities who have the Route verte passing on their territory have not ceded their territory to Peter, John or Jacques. Couldn’t Brownsburg-Chatham follow their example? Really, there is no hurry.

You see, Mr. Mayor, we do not run a city like a private company. We are not in a logic of profit but in a service logic. And services, you have been continuously cut since you came in power. I’m not sure that the people elected you, in addition, to sell off their assets on the slightest pretext.

François Jobin

[1] The town of Brownsburg-Chatham is registered at the Agency for development of private forests of the Laurentians as productive forest. As such, she can get to develop the forest grants through its accredited forestry advisor. (P. 31 of the Protection Plan and Development – Part II